I've always been fascinated by North Korea and always knew that if I had the opportunity to visit some day, I'd be all over it. Little did I know that many years later, I'd be standing at my hotel window in the border town of Dandong, China, staring at the darkness that laid across the Yalu River. I was a stone throw away from the most mysterious and unpredictable country on the planet: North Korea.
"They have hockey in North Korea?" many asked.
They sure do.
The North Koreans have a saying: "The first time you visit North Korea, you are a stranger. The second time, you are a friend. The third time, you're family." Little did I think that two weeks after setting foot in the DPRK for the first time, I'd be returning home leaving behind a group of hockey players, men and women, that I already considered as friends, people that I dearly care for, people that I've shed tears over.
Here are some of my stories about spending time with local Koreans, the real people, the forgotten ones. This is about the North Korea no one talks about and its resilient, humble, shy and down to earth athletes who love and play the same game as you and me, but in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. This is about a group of young men and women who deserve your compassion because just like you and I, they have friends, families and want to live their lives to the fullest. Just like you and I, they have dreams, goals, and are always looking to improve their lives. But unlike us, the entire world seems against them.
They furiously play a game that is so pure and raw at the same time, without any foreign influence. They play a game that fascinates me, a game that makes me want to do more. With barely any knowledge of the modern game, what the North Koreans lack in knowledge and abilities, they try to make up with discipline and heart.
This is about the North Korea you never knew existed, and about its people who make you appreciate your way of life so much more than you ever have.
It's true, no one walks from the DPRK unchanged.
